Garbage can lid anchoring attachment



MarchBl, 1970 R. E. SPARKS, SR

GARBAGE CAN LID ANCHORING ATTACHMENT Filed Oct. 29, 1968 Fig.4

Robert E. Sparks, 5/.

IN VENTOR.

United States Patent 3,503,535 GARBAGE CAN LID ANCHORING ATTACHMENT Robert E. Sparks, Sr., 206 E. Bridge St., Streator, II]. 61364 Filed Oct. 29, 1968, Ser. No. 771,420 Int. Cl. B65d 51/100, 45/100; A47j 27/08 US. Cl. 220-385 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A garbage or trash can wherein a pair of diametrically opposite holddown coil springs have upper ends hooked on the usual rim of the handle-equipped lid and lower ends hooked to properly located spring anchoring brackets. The springs normally overlie the usual pivoted carrying handles. The lid remains in contact with the can at all times and can be yieldingly stored on either side of the can. Specifically, when the lid is open it is clampingly stored between the overhanging bead and a pair of positioning and retaining fixtures attached to the bottom part of the can.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in a portable outdoors can which lends itself to use on a garbage or trash can and pertains, more particularly, but not necessarily, to a regularly used can having a handle-equipped lid and wherein the lid has its skirtlike rim provided with diametrically opposite holes for retention of hooks on the upper ends of coil springs, and wherein similar hooks on the lower ends are hooked in holes provided therefor on suitably mounted spring anchoring brackets.

In carrying out the concept and in addition to the spring held bonnet-type lid, novel fixtures or equivalent cleats are bracketed on diametrically opposite wall portions near the bottom of the can. These fixtures are provided with seating grooves which are spaced a predetermined distance below the usual over-hanging bead. When the can lid is manually situated in an open position preparatory to emptying the contents, it is yieldingly and clampingly held to one or the other side of the can by the aforementioned hold-down springs. With the lid thus stored and effectually held loading and emptying steps can be expeditiously taken care of. In fact, the lid will not slide either up or down inasmuch as it is lodged between the top bead and grooved seating and retaining fixture which, at the time, is being used. Then, too, these fixtures can be conveniently used as foot pieces when dislodging a hard-to-remove lid.

Briefly, the can, a conventional metal trash or garbage can, for example, with a handle-equipped bonnet-type lid and pivoted diametrically opposite carrying handles is altered only to the extent that the annular depending skirt-like rim on the lid is provided with diametrically opposite keeper holes. These holes serve to accommodate attaching and retaining books on coacting upper ends of a pair of suitably proportioned and tensioned coil springs. These springs normally overlie the handles and have their lower hook-equipped ends secured to properly anchored and aligned L-shaped or equivalent retaining brackets. These brackets are fastened to diametrically opposite wall portions of the can body. Then, too, a pair of similar brackets, here differentiated as lid storing fixtures, are secured to intervening diametrically opposite wall portions and have outstanding grooved portions which are so located and spaced from the overhanging bead at the top of the can that the lid, when open, can be clampingly stored in a novel and effectual manner.

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When the lid is closed atop the can the hold-down springs assist in preventing it from being blown off by strong winds, as is often the case. Thus yieldingly harnessed and retained in place the lid keeps (1) flies and insects from entering (2) dogs, cats and other animals from displacing the lid (3) traps and prevents foul odors from escaping and (4) permits one to carry the can while the lid stays in its closed position.

When the lid is intentionally lifted off against the tension of the diametrically opposite springs, it can be swung, either to the left or the right, and temporarily lodged and clampingly stored between the seating and retaining fixtures and shoulder-forming head which encircles the then open mouth of the can. These same fixtures provide selectively usable foot-pieces which enable one to hold the can down with his foot while dislodging a hard-to-remove lid.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of a garbage or trash can provided with the added accessories which coordinate with the existing or stock parts of the can to provide the construction desired.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged detail fragmentary view with parts in section and elevation taken approximately on the plane of the vertical section line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the structure seen in FIG. 1 and on a smaller scale.

FIG. 4 is also a side elevational view on the same scale and which is based on FIG. 3 and shows the lid after it has been lifted up and swung over to the left where it is clampingly held by the springs.

And FIG. 5 is a view in perspective which shows the can laying on one side and the lid in its open spring-held position at which time the lid serves to prevent the can from rolling.

By way of introduction of to the description of the details, it is to be pointed out that the invention is shown in use on a so-called conventional metal outdoors garbage or trash can. While the invention lends itself to use on plastic type trash and garbage cans it is deemed unnecessary to show the plastic can.

With reference now to the views of the drawing it will be evident that the can proper, that is the over-all body portion, is designated by the numeral 6 and is a conventional open top type. The bottom part of the can is designated at 8. The open top is shown in FIG. 2 where it is designated by the numeral 10 and is provided, as is usual, with an encompassing or encircling outstanding bead 12 which constitutes a shoulder in the manner illustrated bead 12 which a shoulder in the manner illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5 for example. The attachable and detachable bonnet-type lid is denoted at 14 and as usual is provided with an appropriate handle or handgrip 16. It is also provided with a depending skirtlike annulus which is here designated as a rim 18 and which functions to embrace the bead 12 and to hold the lid frictionaly in place. To the ends desired, diametrically opposite portions of the rim are provided as at 20 with apertures which serve as anchoring holes. These holes serve to accommodate attachable and detachable hooks 22 on the upper ends of appropriately tensioned and proportioned coil springs 24. The lower end of each spring is provided with a similar hook 26- which is detachably connected with a hole 28 provided therefor in the horizontal or outstanding leg of an L-shaped spring anchoring bracket 32. There are two such brackets and they are arranged on diametrically opposite side wall portions 34 of the can body. The vertical leg of each bracket denoted at 36 is superimposed on the surface of the can and is bolted or otherwise secured in place as at 38. It will be noted that the side wall portions 34 are provided as usual with loop-type handles 40 which are pivotally bracketed in place as at 42. When the lid is properly applied as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 the coil springs overlie or are stretched across the handles 40 causing the handles to lie flatwise against the can surfaces. Actually with properly tensioned and bracketed coil springs and with the lid closed one can each hold of the handle or handgrip 16 and lift and carry the can particularly when it is either empty or not too heavily loaded with trash or garbage.

It will be noted that the intervening or other diametrically opposite side wall portions of the can are herein utilized and are difierentiated by the numeral 44. The portions 46 just above the bottom 8 are here provided with special purpose cleats which are distinguishably designated as lid hold-down and storing fixtures 48. By securing these two fixtures 48 to the bottom portion they are located at a prescribed distance below the shoulder forming bead 12. With this construction and arrangement the user can lift the lid against the tension of the springs and then swing it to either the left or right side and store it clampingly against the side wall of the can, more specifically, between the specially designated fixture 48 and the shoulder 12.

Each fixture 48 comprises an outstanding U-shaped body portion 50 having an upper leg with an upbent attaching flange 52 abutting and bolted to the coacting wall portion of the can, and a lower leg with a companion depending flange 54 likewise abutting and bolted to that surface of the wall portion with which it coacts. It should be noted that the upper leg is uniquely bent in a manner to provide a horizontal open-ended seating groove 56 (FIG. 3) in which the beaded lip of the lid can be lodged and retentively seated in the stored position shown in FIG. 4.

The accessories shown lend themselves to use on and in conjunction with a substantially unaltered lid-equipped garbage or trash can of the type which is made from sheet metal. In the event that the invention is adopted for use on plastic cans and instead of simply punching holes or apertures in the rim 18 as shown, experience has shown that it is better to insert or lodge a grommet in the rim of the can lid for best results (not shown).

The fixtures 48 are amply large that they serve the additional purpose of stirrup-like foot pieces. Accordingly these fixtures can be used when desired to assist one to place a foot thereon and hold the can steady while removing the lid particularly if the lid is the type which cannot be dislodged easily.

The manner in which the inventive concept functions is clearly shown in the views of the drawing wherein the lid is held in closed position as shown particularly in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 and, alternatively, is swung over and clampingly held in a stored and out-of-the-way position as shown to advantage in FIGS. 4 and 5.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In combination, a garbage can having an open upper end, a lid normally covering said upper end, said lid having a fixed centralized hand-grip and a complemental marginal depending rim portion removably encompassing said upper open end, said upper open end being provided with an outstanding bead constituting a lid abutting and positioning shoulder, a pair of handles individually mounted on diametrically opposite sides of said can, said handles being spaced downwardly from the plane of said upper end, a pair of duplicate tensioned coil springs having upper ends connected with diametrically opposite portions of and depending from said rim, anchoring means for the lower ends of said springs comprising holddown brackets, said holddown brackets being aligned with, fixedly mounted and spaced downwardly from the respectively cooperable handles, said springs being yieldingly stretched across the respectively cooperable handles when said lid is disposed in its normal can-covering position atop said open upper end, a lower portion of at least one side portion of said can being provided with a lid positioning fixture, said fixture being situated in a position relative to the locale of said shoulder and the diametral dimension of the lid that the lid can be removed from said upper end and temporarily lodged in a yieldingly clamped position against said one side wall and held between the shoulder and fixture, that is, when manually placed in a stored out-of-the-way can transporting and unloading state.

2. The garbage can defined in and according to claim 1, and wherein each holddown bracket is L-shaped, one leg of said bracket being superimposed upon and fastened to the coacting side wall portion and the other leg projecting laterally outward from said wall portion and being apertured, wherein the portion of said rim directly above and in line with said bracket is provided with an aperture, each spring having spring attaching and retaining hooks at its upper and lower ends, respectively, and said hooks being releasably engaged with their respectively cooperable apertures.

3. In combination, a portable outdoors can for trash and garbage open at its upper end and exteriorly surrounded by an outstanding overhanging bead providing a lid positioning and retaining shoulder, lower diametrically opposite side wall portions of the can body having lid positioning and storing fixtures which are fixedly mounted diametrically opposite each other, each fixture embodying a horizontal open-ended lid seating groove parallel with and spaced below the level of said shoulder at a distance equal to the diameter of the cans lid, diametrically opposite side wall portions of the can body being provided with fixedly mounted L-shaped brackets having outstanding apertured portions providing spring anchoring cars, a readily applicable and removable lid having a depending marginal rim, said rim having apertures aligned with the apertures in said ears, and a pair of like coil springs having attaching and retaining hooks at their respective upper and lower free ends, said hooks being releasably but retentively engaged with their respectively cooperable apertures.

4. The combination defined in and according to claim 3, and wherein the last-named diametrically opposite side wall portions of the can body are also provided with pivotally mounted can lifting and carrying handles which are located on upper areas of said side wall portions in line with their respectively cooperable L-shaped brackets so that when the lid is closed the coil springs stretch across the handles with which they are then cooperative.

5. The combination defined in and according to claim 3, and wherein each fixture is rigid and is rigidly secured to the can wall at a level close to the bottom part of the body of the can, said fixture having the additional function of a foot piece adapted for use at the time a user finds it necessary to step on said foot piece when loosening a hard-to-remove lid.

6. The combination defined in and according to claim 3, and wherein each fixture comprises a U-shaped body portion having upper and lower legs provided with lateral attaching flanges which are adapted to be superimposed upon and secured to coacting portions of the cans wall, said upper leg being bent upon itself to provide said horizontal open-ended seating groove, said groove being adapted to accommodatingly seat a coacting marginal edge of the lid.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Rebideau.

Smith 220-69 Domershausen 22055.7 Cunningham 220-38.5 X Zehnder 220-55] X Perez 220-59 6 2,936,095 5/1960 Mereness 220--'55.7 3,033,414 5/1962 Galland 220-55 X FOREIGN PATENTS 896,266 4/ 1944 France.

RAPHAEL H. SCHWARTZ, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

